


Love in Pastels

by Nadiainklover



Series: Pretty in Pastels [2]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: A little bits of Malec, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff, M/M, Pastel Simon, Pastels, Photographer Raphael, Pretty in Pastels Series, Raphael's family, Santiago siblings, Saphael, Simon's family - Freeform, Some angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-05
Updated: 2018-01-01
Packaged: 2019-01-09 12:02:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12276081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nadiainklover/pseuds/Nadiainklover
Summary: HIATUS...Simon's and Raphael's relationship continues to grow after the events in Pretty in Pastels. They've decided to move in together, and that change brings some other major changes to their lives as well.Sequel to Pretty in Pastels.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My babies are baaaaaaack! :D
> 
> So, I really enjoyed writing the Pastel!AU, and some of you have told me that you've loved it as well....so I decided to make a sequel!
> 
> I really hope you like this as much as Pretty in Pastels. I do believe I will continue exploring this universe, so here's some more of it.
> 
> Thanks for all the support!

They were moving out. Raphael and Simon were starting a new year in college and they had both decided to get their own apartment instead of living in separate dorm rooms. They thought it was the next step for their relationship. Simon had been the first one to voice the thought out loud, though both of them had been thinking about it. So Simon had asked Raphael...with a lot of stumbling over his own words and blushing. Raphael had accepted, of course. 

For months they had looked at multiple places until something came up. It was so much nicer than Simon expected. For their first apartment, it was so much fancier than Simon would have ever dreamed of. A big part of it was thanks to Raphael's new job. He had been offered a chance to work at a prestigious fashion magazine as a photographer. With the job Raphael was getting paid with a fair amount of money, which was a good thing given how the economy was in the country. Still, Simon had been reluctant to accept Raphael's offer to pay a higher part of the rent. Simon had a job as well, though his salary was not much to talk about. Simon worked at a bookshop. It wasn't anything too big like a Barnes&Noble, but it was still nice and Simon loved it. After a few weeks of conflict regarding how they would afford such an apartment, Simon had agreed to Raphael's offer. 

They had decided that money was not important. None of them was better than the other depending on how much they earned. And so, with that in mind, they had taken the apartment they had fallen in love with. It was in Brooklyn, where Simon had grown up, though it was not close to his childhood home. The apartment was spacious, having a main bedroom and two guest rooms. It also had a living room and a small dining room that blended with the kitchen. In the main bedroom there was a balcony that had a beautiful view to the city. It really was something pulled out from a dream. Simon had fallen in love with the apartment as soon as he laid eyes in it, and Raphael had loved it just as much. 

They had taken their friends to check it out before they decided on it. Magnus Bane had instantly started planning how they would decorate it and what type of furniture they should get. He and Isabelle had a whole color scheme planned by the time they finished looking around the apartment. Alexander Lightwood just followed after them, asking a few technical questions regarding electricity and water, which were very useful. 

Even though Simon was not very close to Alec, he had been waiting for his take on the place. Alec had moved to his own place at the age of 17, when his parents had kicked him out of his own home. Since then he had been living alone before he got a scholarship in college and started living in the dorm rooms. Out of everyone in their small group of friends, he was the one who had more experience regarding having their own place. So his input regarding some things of the apartment were something Simon took very seriously. 

Clary had also gone to see the apartment. She had never really warmed up to Raphael. They both were too stubborn to even try getting along. Raphael, however, tried to control himself whenever Clary was around. Just for the sake of Simon. Clary, as well, tried not to be as rude around the hispanic photographer, though she was the least successful. By now, they both knew that none of them disappear from Simon's life. That didn't mean they had to like each other. However, when Clary had seen the apartment she had confessed to Simon she liked it. 

Simon and Raphael had decided to move in a few weeks before the new semestre started. That way they would have time to settle in and would not get mixed up with the stress of their classes. Still, between moving in and their jobs, they still struggled to get anything done at their new house. So far they had settled with a bed in their new bedroom and a sofa in the living room with the TV on the floor. The refrigerator in the kitchen was working, as well as the oven, but that was about it. The whole place was filled with boxes and things that were still pending to unpack.

A few days after they had officially moved in, Raphael received a call from his mother. Raphael's mother had invited them over for dinner. She used the excuse of them moving in together so they could reunite and celebrate. Raphael knew it was just an excuse to finally meet Simon.

Raphael had never introduced Simon to his family. Not because he didn't think it was important or something, but because they never really got around to it. Simon and him didn't talk about family. Raphael knew Simon didn't have any type of contact with his family anymore. Raphael didn't really know why, but he never asked. He knew that Simon would tell him when he was ready, so he wouldn't pry.

But family was something very important for Raphael. He was very close to his mother and his siblings. The photographer's family could be considered a big one, but for Raphael it had always been very small. It was only his mother, his siblings, and him. Though his older sister, Rosa, was married and had kids. But for a very long time, it had been just the 6 of them. 5 kinds and their mother. Rosa was the oldest with 26 years of age, followed by Raphael who was 3 years younger than her. David and Daniel were twins, 5 years younger than Raphael. The youngest was Samuel, who was 10 years younger than Raphael. They were all very close to each other, having gone through a lot of things as a family. They all gave strength to each other. 

So when Raphael's mother insisted on meeting Simon, the photographer grew a bit nervous. He was confident that Simon would get along with his family just fine. But many different possibilities went through his mind. One of the twins pulling off a prank, Simon and Rosa disagreeing on something, someone asking about Simon's family, Samuel making an offensive comment about Simon's flowers or the color of his clothes, his mother not approving...He knew his thoughts were not helpful and very unlikely to happen. Him worrying would not help calm Simon's nerves. And god, was he nervous. 

Simon had been fidgeting since the day before, trying to keep busy and have his mind distracted from what was to come. They still had a lot of things to unpack and a trip to IKEA to complete. There were not much they could do without the furniture, but Simon managed to find something to do. Raphael let him be, he knew Simon just needed some time for himself. He would not try to approach Simon about the visit until it was absolutely necessary. 

So when the day came and they were getting ready to leave the house, Simon was on a full panic attack. Not that he showed it too much. His hands trembled and he wouldn't stop moving. He would walk from one place to another and then back again. No matter what he had in his hands he would play with it, being a pencil or some other small item. Raphael had tried to talk to him, trying to get him to calm down and not think too much about the subject. But it was of no use, Simon would be nervous no matter what. And Raphael could understand. He, too, would be nervous if he were to meet Simon's family in a few hours. However, when they were getting dressed and Raphael noticed what Simon was wearing, he had to put a stop to it all.

"Why are you wearing black?" Raphael frowned, looking at the outfit his boyfriend had.

"What are you talking about?" Simon asked, self-conciously looking down at the clothes he was wearing.

"You are wearing black." Raphael said, pointing at the sweater he was wearing over a grey shirt. "And a grey shirt....Simon, you never wear such dull colors unless you are wearing one of my jackets"

"I do wear black!" Simon protested "You've seen me wearing black jeans"

"Simon" Raphael gave him a pointed look "You know what I'm talking about"

 

Simon sighed, but didn't comment any further. Instead, he looked down and started playing with the hem of his grey shirt. Today his outfit was very unlike anything he usually wore. He was wearing a pair of black skinny jeans, a grey t-shirt with a black dress shirt on top. He had not put any additional accessories to his hair, and instead he had tried to tame his curls. 

"I didn't even know you owned black clothes" Raphael commented, approaching his boyfriend and nudging his chin so Simon would look up "Bebe, tell me what's going on"

"Nothing" Simon shook his head "I just thought....I thought it would be better if I just, tuned it down a little, you know? Like...Like I wanna make a good impression. You know I want your family to like me. I know how important they are for you. So I thought it would be better if I did not wear something like my usual outfits."

"Simon" Raphael deadpanned "They are going to love you. You don't need to change how you dress just to like them. Yes, I do want you and my family to get along, but I also want that to happen because they're getting to know the real you"

"I just don't think they would appreciate seeing flowers in the hair of their son's or brother's boyfriend" Simon shrugged "I really don't mind...I mean, it's not too much-"

"Bebé, you know I adore your flowers" Raphael said softly, pecking Simon's lips "And I'm sure my family will as well. And if they don't, well that's their problem. I refuse to let you feel uncomfortable or feel the need to change who you are because you wanna be liked by someone. No matter if they are my own family. If they are going to like you, it will be because they met the real you."

 

Simon blushed furiously, ducking his head down, but Raphael still caught the small smile that graced his boyfriend's mouth. Kissing Simon's forehead, Raphael moved to finish getting ready. Instantly, Simon moved towards the boxes that had all of their clothes and changed his outfit.


	2. Chapter 2

The Santiago home was a very nice place. Rosa and Raphael had saved up money and bought their mother a new house where she could live more comfortable. The place where they lived before had been something close to a dump. Guadalupe Santiago had struggled to raise five kids by herself. Working multiple jobs at a time and trying to save as much money as she could. She had always given everything she could in order to give her kids a good life. All of them knew how hard it was, or at least tried to imagine how hard it could be. So when Rosa and Raphael moved out, they made an oath to help their mother. After some time of saving money, they managed to get their mother and their younger siblings out of the poor excuse of a house into a much better place.

 

That’s where Raphael and Simon found themselves now. Simon was wearing a soft wool lilac sweater over a white collared shirt. He had skinny jeans on and purple converse shoes. On top of his head he had a flower crown made of purple and white flowers. Next to him stood Raphael, wearing black jeans and shoes with a button-up white shirt. He was also wearing a black leather jacket. They looked so mismatched together, but they still fit together. 

Raphael knocked on the front door of his mother's home and took a step back, waiting for someone to open the door. Simon tightened his hold on the pyrex he had brought with some pie. The door flew open and a beautiful hispanic woman stood in front of them. She was a petit thing, her full hops making her look even shorter. But despite her height, she demanded attention. Simon could not help but find the similarities between her and Raphael. Both of them had jet-black hair and their eyes were the same shade of brown. Some of the features in their faces were similar, though Raphael's were more sharp. 

"Hermanito!" She exclaimed, throwing her arms around Raphael's shoulders "I'm so glad you could make it"

"Hola Rosa" Raphael patted her back before stepping back. He had a soft smile in his face that Simon could not help but find endearing.

"Mamá! Raphael ha llegado!" Rosa announced their arrival walking back inside without bothering to greet Simon. "Y su novio es muy adorable"

 

Raphael met Simon's panicked eyes and took pity of him. Moving closer to his boyfriend, Raphael guided him inside the house. The photographer closed the door behind them and then placed his hand in the small of Simon's back. Simon pressed back against him and Raphael could see he was about to have a panic attack.

 

"Hey...hey bebé, it's alright" Raphael whispered, leaning to kiss Simon's cheek.

"I...I'm not sure....Rapha" Simon's panicked eyes locked with Raphael's. Raphael wanted nothing else than to stop Simon's panicked mind from getting ahead of him. 

"It'll be okay" Raphael tried to reassure his boyfriend "If it is too much we can leave. Just say the word"

"N-No" Simon shook his head "Just...Just don't leave"

 

Raphael understood instantly and nodded. He wrapped his arm around Simon's waist instead, trying to bring him as close as he could to his body. He had learned a long time ago that Simon needed contact. While Raphael was not a big fan of physical contact, let alone any sexual contact, he still tried to give Simon what he needed. Simon was someone who needed comfort from the physical touch of someone else. The boy with flowers in his hair had long ago clarified that it didn't need to be sexual, just some human contact. That Raphael could do. It helped ground Simon, keep him in the present and have his mind settle down before going into a panic attack.

"Come on...I'll introduce you to everyone and you'll see it all will be alright"

Simon nodded and followed Raphael towards the kitchen of the home. He was still clutching the pyrex as hard as he could, but slowly he started to relax. As they walked inside the kitchen, they found Raphael's mother putting something in the oven while Rosa talked quickly in Spanish.

"Please, refrain from calling my boyfriend adorable in a language he cannot understand" Raphael rolled his eyes.

Both woman instantly looked up at them and Simon could feel his cheeks growing red. Raphael's mother put the kitchen mittens she had been using and rushed towards Raphael, pulling him in a tight hug.

"Mijo!" Guadalupe Santiago exclaimed "Oh I've missed you"

"I've missed you too, mamá" Raphael hugged his mother back before stepping back and getting to Simon's side again. "Mamá, Rosa...meet Simon, my boyfriend"

"I've brought pie" Simon said quickly, lifting the pyrex before blushing furiously.

"Oh he's too precious" Guadalupe gushed before taking the pyrex from Simon's hands, putting it away, and hugging him just like she had hugged Raphael.

Simon was startled for a moment, before returning the hug a bit hesitant. 

"It is so nice to meet you!" Guadalupe smiled "And aren't you a handsome young man?"

"T-Thanks" Simon laughed nervously.

"Nice to meet you, Simon" Rosa smiled as she approached them "Tell me, hermano, where did you find someone like him? and tell me where I can get one to myself"

"Rosa, do I need to remind you you're married?" Raphael rolled his eyes.

"Details" Rosa grinned "No. But really...It is very nice to meet you Simon. We were all dying to put a face to the man who had stolen our little Raphael's heart"

"Oh he would not silence about you" Guadalupe laughed "We were all dying to meet you"

"Mamá...Rosa...please stop" Raphael groaned "Where are the twins and Sammy?"

"Upstairs" Guadalupe said "You should go greet. Dinner will be ready in 10 minutes"

 

Raphael nodded, taking Simon's hand in his own before walking off. The photographer guided Simon upstairs, though they stopped by in the hallway when Simon noticed all the photographs. Guadalupe had hung photos of all of her kids. Simon caught some family portraits, but also many individual photos. He found one of Raphael as a kid, dressed as a cowboy that had Simon gushing over how adorable his boyfriend looked. Raphael managed to drag Simon away from the photos before he saw the most embarrassing ones. 

They reached the door of Samuel's room, where voices could be heard yelling and laughing. Noises of video games could be heard and laughing. Raphael knocked on the door and didn't wait for an answer before walking in. Inside the room the twins were lounging on some bean bags and Samuel was lying down on his bed. The three of them had their Nintendo DS and were pushing buttons furiously and exclaiming multiple things that made no sense to Raphael.

"No! Daniel no seas estúpido!" One of the twins exclaimed "You can't use a steel-type pokemon against a fire-type!"

"Well I can't use my Diglett either!" Daniel cried and then groaned when he lost the fight.

"Gracias!" Samuel sing-songed "You just allowed me to move one level up!"

 

Raphael cleared his throat and got his sibling's attention. The three of them looked up and brightened up at the sight of their older brother.

 

"Raphael!" Samuel exclaimed "Come play Pokemon with us!"

"You know I never really understood that game" Raphael shook his head "Now, guys, I want you to meet Simon"

 

Simon stepped forward and waved nervously. He stood close to Raphael, almost afraid to be too far apart from his boyfriend. Simon's hands moved hesitantly, almost as if they wanted to reach out and touch Raphael, but didn't dare to.

 

"Tu novio" David smirked and the three of them started teasing Raphael in their mother tongue.

"Please speak English so Simon can understand" Raphael rolled his eyes, taking Simon's hand in his. "And next time any of you bring someone home, I'll remember all your teasing."

 

Both of the twins glared at him while Samuel just rolled his eyes. The youngest Santiago stood up from his place in the bed and walked over to his older brother, standing right in front of Simon.

 

"Do you play Pokemon?" Samuel inquired. The way he said it sounded like a test to Simon. Something he needed to answer correctly in order to pass and have the teenager's approval. 

"I have Pokemon moon in my 3DS" Simon said, taking the small gaming console from his pocket.

 

Raphael should be surprised that Simon carried around the game. But it really was no shock. His boyfriend, he had learned, was a total nerd. Simon was a huge fan of comic books and spent countless of hours playing video games. He could even recite every Star Wars and Lord of the Rings movies. So Simon carrying around his 3DS was not a surprise. And the machine was so like Simon. It was of a pastel sky-blue color that Raphael didn't know even existed. He still was not sure where Simon got it, but it just matched the whole aesthetic that Simon had going on. Raphael loved it.

 

"Cool!" Daniel exclaimed "Sammy has Pokemon Sun"

"I have moon!" David said, approaching Simon "I dare you to a duel!"

"You're on" Simon grinned

 

For the next minutes Simon and Raphael's brothers played in their DS. Even though Raphael didn't understand the game and did not participate, he was pleased that his brothers had warmed up quickly to Simon. 

Not long after, Rosa called them from downstairs, announcing that dinner was ready. Sammy instantly rushed downstairs followed by the twins who claimed they were starving. Raphael took Simon's hand and together they walked downstairs. As they reached the dining room, they found two new family members. Rosa's husband, Gabriel, and their 4-year-old son, Jacob.

 

"Tío Raphael!" Jacob exclaimed, rushing to hug his uncle.

"Hello squirt" Raphael chuckled, ruffling his nephew's hair "Come here, I want you to meet Simon"

"Hello there" Simon grinned down at the boy.

"Hi" Jacob responded shyly, but he stared at Simon with wide eyes "Why are you wearing flowers?"

"Because flowers are fun" Simon responded easily "And they're pretty"

"I like them" Jacob giggled before skipping off to talk to Sammy.

 

Simon straightened up and felt a relief breath leave his body. Raphael chuckled, feeling happy that his nephew seemed to like Simon, or that at least he didn't make a rude comment about Simon's flowers. However, he tensed when Gabriel approached them. The relation between Raphael and his sister's husband was strained, to say the least.

 

"Gabriel" Raphael nodded towards the man.

"Raphael" Gabriel nodded back "It's been a long time"

"Indeed" Raphael responded "This is my boyfriend, Simon"

"Hey man" Simon nodded, stepping closer to Raphael "Nice to meet you"

 

Gabriel racked his eyes over Simon, raising an eyebrow. He wasn't trying too hard to hide his disapproval on Simon's outfit. Raphael tensed his jaw, fisting his hands. Simon started to play with the hem of his sweater in nervousness.

 

"Pleasure" Gabriel finally said before walking off.

"Don't mind him" Raphael said quickly "He's a jerk. I never really liked him"

"It's alright" Simon shrugged, giving Raphael a small smile "I'm used to it"

 

Raphael opened his mouth to say something, but was unable to say it because his mother called them up to eat. Simon squeezed his hand before walking towards the table. He sat down where Guadalupe told him to sit. Raphael sat on his left, while Daniel took his right. Next to Daniel sat his twin brother. On the other side of the table, Gabriel sat right across from Simon. Rosa sat on his right and Jacob on his left. Samuel sat next to Jacob. By the head of the table sat Guadalupe. 

Dinner went as smoothly as possible. They said grace before they passed the food around and everyone started eating. Rosa and Guadalupe asked Simon a lot of things, trying to make it look as if it wasn't an interrogation. 

 

"What are you studying, Simon?" Guadalupe asked.

"I'm in Accounting" Simon explained "With a minor in History."

"Accounting?" Rosa asked "I wouldn't take you for that type"

"I took it mostly for my mom" Simon shrugged "I found it useless to change it later on"

"He's also taking some extra courses in Music" Raphael said.

"Oh you're a musician?" Guadalupe asked "Samuel has been looking for some guitar lessons"

"Mamá" Raphael groaned "Deja de ser tan interesada"

"I'm not" Guadalupe protested "I'm not being interested for the advantages your boyfriend can bring...I just thought it would be good for Simon and Samuel to bond"

 

Raphael rolled his eyes, knowing exactly what his mother was doing. Not having to pay for guitar classes and instead have Simon, Raphael's boyfriend, do it for free and use the excuse of him boding with Raphael's brother. It was so typical of his mother to do something like that.

 

"It's okay" Simon chuckled "I wouldn't mind teaching Samuel a thing or two"

"Cool!" Sammy grinned

"Me too!" Jacob exclaimed "I wanna play guitar"

"We'll get you someone to teach you" Gabriel told his son

"I can teach him as well" Simon said sweetly.

"Yay!" Jacob exclaimed "Can you teach me to make pretty flowers as well?"

"Flower crowns?" Simon asked nervously "of course"

"Yay!!" Jacob exclaimed once again "Daddy! Daddy I'm gonna have pretty flowers in my hair"

"No Jacob" Gabriel said, too harshly.

"Gabriel" Rosa warned her husband.

"But daddy" Jacob pouted "I want pretty flowers"

"No Jacob" Gabriel repeated with a snap "Flowers aren't for boys"

 

Simon froze next to Raphael, taking in a shaky breath. Raphael instantly took his hand, squeezing it softly as silent support. Raphael glared at Gabriel, his jaw tense. Everyone had fallen silent and were staring nervously at either Gabriel, Simon, or Raphael.

 

"Excuse me?" Raphael growled "I don't think I heard you correctly"

"I said" Gabriel smirked, his cold eyes staring at Raphael, daring him "Flowers are not for boys"

"Gabriel" Rosa hissed "Stop this"

"Excuse me for not wanting to have a son who pretends to be a girl" Gabriel laughed, no humor behind his voice.

"Take it back!" Raphael demanded, his voice laced with anger and his eyes flashing with intense fire of rage. "Take it back and apologise to Simon"

"I'm not" Gabriel shook his head "I'm not taking back what I've said. And I'm not going to apologise to your sissy of a boyfriend"

"Enough" Guadalupe said sternly, standing up and glaring at Gabriel "Get out of my house"

 

There was a tense silence between everyone. Gabriel stared back at Guadalupe before he stood up and stormed off the house. No one dared to say a thing until Jacob sniffed silently and Guadalupe sat back down.

 

"Raphael" Guadalupe said softly "Go after Simon"

 

Raphael turned to his right and found Simon's place empty. He hadn't even noticed when Simon had stood up and left. Standing up himself, he looked around the place, trying to find some clue of where his boyfriend had gone to.

 

"He went to the garden" Daniel told him quietly.

 

Raphael nodded gratefully at him before walking off towards the back garden of his mother's house. It was not hard to find Simon. He sat by the stairs, his knees brought up to his chest while he cried silently against them. The flower crown he had been wearing lay in the ground in front of him. It was crumbled and broken, making Raphael's chest hurt.

 

"Bebé" Raphael whispered, sitting down next to Simon "Simon...I'm so sorry"

"W-Why..." Simon hiccupped, looking up at his boyfriend "W-Why are you apologising?"

"I should have stopped him before he said anything else" Raphael shook his head "I swear to God I'll kill him next time I see him"

"Don't" Simon whispered "He's family"

"YOU'RE my family Simon" Raphael responded fiercely "And I won't allow that Idiota treat you like that"

 

Simon sobbed and instantly Raphael wrapped his arms around him. Simon buried his face against Raphael's neck, his hands clutching at his shirt tightly. Raphael allowed him to cry as much as he needed, rubbing his back and whispering small comforts in his ears.

 

"I'm sorry" Simon mumbled once he had calmed down.

"Why are you apologising?" Raphael sighed.

"I ruined the dinner" Simon shrugged "I bet your family is not very impressed with me"

"They understand" Raphael said "My mother kicked Gabriel out...I'm sure everyone is worried about you"

"I wanna go home" Simon whispered, closing his eyes tightly.

"Of course" Raphael nodded "Come on....I'll take you home"

 

Both of them stood up. Raphael wiped Simon's tears away and kissed him softly. Simon smiled, but his smile was quiet and broken. Raphael cursed inside of his head, promising he would beat down Gabriel for what he had done to his boyfriend. Simon had had enough shit for being who he was. He didn't need another idiot doing it again.

They walked inside the house. Everyone had already cleaned the table and were waiting for them in the living room. When Raphael announced they were going home, Guadalupe stood up and enveloped Simon in a hug. She didn't say anything, just hugged him. Rose approached them as well. Her face down in guilt and her eyes tearing up.

 

"I'm so sorry" Rosa shook her head "For him and what he said and just...everything"

"Don't apologise" Simon shook his head "It isn't your fault"

"Still" Rosa sighed and Simon hugged her

"It's okay" Simon said softly.

"It's not" Rosa shook her head "It's not okay"

"You're right" Simon said pulling away and shrugging "But there's nothing we can do about it"

 

Rosa nodded and then Simon moved to say goodbye to everyone. Guadalupe made them promise to come back some other time to repeat the dinner and make it right. Simon nodded silently, though he was hesitant. When Raphael was done saying goodbye to his family they left. That night Raphael held his boyfriend tight against his chest, letting him cry himself to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this took A LOT...and I'm sorry it took me so long to update. But I just finished college for the year, so I hope to have some free time now.
> 
> As an apology, I have made a board in Pinterest for 'PRETTY IN PASTELS'. You can see there some aesthetics of the fic and also the inspiration for the photos Raphael took. Hope you like it. I'm working on a board for this fic as well, so I'll share it with you later on.
> 
> https://www.pinterest.com/nadiainklover/pretty-in-pastels/

Simon had to work the next day. He had the late shift at the bookstore where he worked at, so he spent all morning at home before leaving just after lunch. Simon and Raphael spent their morning painting their new bedroom. Raphael had chosen the colors, with Simon's approval. They had chosen a soft cream colors for the walls. They didn't want any strong colors, because they wanted to make a nice contrast with the color of the duvet of their bed. The duvet was color blue, and the pillows and other blankets varied in the shades of blue and some whites. The courtains of the window were white and by the feet of the bed there was a carpet with shades of white and grey. On the wall on top of their bed they had chosen some of Raphael's photographs to frame. Simon had also placed different pots with flowers and plants. 

 

Simon had been quiet most of the time. As quiet as Simon could be, at least. He still talked about random things and he was still very clumsy with his actions and fumbled with his words. But Raphael noticed that the spark that usually lightened up Simon's eyes had dimmed. He knew what had gone down the previous night during the dinner with his family had affected Simon terribly. The photographer was still raging inside because of what that idiot had done to his boyfriend. Raphael knew Simon had been hurt, but he didn't know how deep the cuts went. He wasn't going to push either. Simon would talk to him when he was ready. But when the musician got ready for work and Raphael noticed the muted colors he was using, something broke inside of him. In that moment, Raphael knew he had to do something. Anything to bring comfort to Simon. So when Simon kissed him goodbye and left for work, Raphael started to make a plan and set it into motion.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Simon worked silently. In the bookshop where he worked at, he was in charge of the Young Adult area. The bookshop was divided in different areas and everyone who worked there had an area they were in charge of. Being in charge of an area required that they needed to keep in order the books of the shelves and the books that were being displayed in the tables. When Simon got to work, he found out that he had many new books he needed to put in his area. Simon welcomed the distraction. It was a few hours before closing time when one of his co-workers approached him. It was Maia, a friend of his and in charge of the fiction novels for adults. 

 

"Simon?" Maia asked "There's something for you in the front desk"

"Something?" Simon asked with a frown "What is it?"

"Go and look." Maia winked at him and then walked off.

 

Simon stood there for a small moment before making his way to the front of the store. He stopped a few feet away from the information desk. On top of it stood a beautiful flower arrangement. It was made just with sunflowers, one of Simon's favorite flowers. He approached the flowers slowly, getting close enough to touch them. His fingers ghosted over the bright yellow petals and then he found the white envelope. He opened it and inside he found some polaroid photos. Looking at them, Simon found himself smiling widely. He remembered when the photos were taken. Simon had found the polaroid camera Raphael owned. He had instantly taken a photo of the photographer while he was making lunch for the two of them. The next couple of minutes were spent taking photos of each other and some of them together. His favorite one was a photo Raphael took, almost as if it were a selfie. The two of them were kissing, Simon smiling widely against Raphael's lips. Behind the photograph, Raphael had written a small message.

_Te amo, luz de mi vida._

Simon didn't need to guess who had sent the flowers. He loved the nickname Raphael used on him very rarely. The photographer had explained it translated into 'light of my life' and it melted Simon's heart.

 

"Simon!" Simon turned around at the sound of someone calling his name. He found Maureen approaching him. She was another of his coworkers in the bookshop, in charge of the kid's area. 

"Maureen, hi" Simon said quietly, his attention returning to the flowers.

"Who sent those?" Maureen asked, her voice taking a strange tint that Simon didn't bother acknowledge.

He knew Maureen had a crush on him for a very long time now. When she found out about Raphael, she had not been happy. Not like Simon really cared about her opinion. It made him slightly uncomfortable. She was never too mean, but she kept flirting with him and making side comments about Raphael. Simon didn't think it was too serious. He preferred not to pay too much attention to it, didn't want to cause any unnecessary drama. 

 

"Raphael sent them." Simon sighed happily, putting the photos back into the envelope. 

"Too cheesy, isn't it?" Maureen wrinkled her nose.

"Sunflowers are my favorite flowers" Simon shrugged, a small smile gracing his face.

"Why would he send you flowers anyway?" Maureen asked, crossing her arms.

"One doesn't need an excuse to send flowers to their significant other"

 

Maureen turned around when the voice spoke just behind her. Raphael Santiago stood with his hands in his pockets, his leather jacket hanging from his shoulders looking effortless. Simon turned around as well and grinned at the sight of his boyfriend. Simon approached him until he was close enough to throw his arms around Raphael's neck, hugging him close. The photographer's arms instantly wrapped around Simon's waist and brought him closer to his chest.

 

"Hola" Raphael whispered against Simon's ear, before drawing back.

"Hi" Simon smiled shyly "Why did you get me flowers?"

"I thought you needed some cheering up" Raphael explained with a shrug "I hope the sunflowers did the trick"

"They did" Simon grinned "Thank you, I love them"

"I'm glad" Raphael grinned

"Raphael Santiago" A voice behind them said.

"Theresa Grey" Raphael grinned, turning around to look at his friend.

 

They had met through Magnus and became good friends since then. Tessa was also the owner of the bookshop where Simon worked at. She was his boss, but she was so relaxed around everyone and really got along with her employees.

 

"If I know that what it took for you to come visit would be to have your boyfriend working here, I would have hired him a long time ago" Tessa teased with a grin.

"I would bring you flowers as well, but I'm not sure William would approve" Raphael laughed.

"Neither would your own boyfriend" Tessa winked at Simon, who blushed slightly.

"It is good to see you Tess" Raphael chuckled. "Would you mind if I worked here for a while?"

"Not at all" Tessa smiled.

"This is not a co-working space or an internet cafe" Maureen commented, eyeing Raphael's laptop bag.

"Raphael is always welcome to work here" Tessa told her employee "Now, why don't you go and work in your area? I noticed the kids' area is a bit messy"

 

Maureen blushed furiously, but stalked off. Tessa was her boss, after all. There was nothing she could say against her. Raphael snickered at her reaction. He really disliked that girl.

 

"That was rude" Simon scowled, but he wasn't very serious about it.

"She was ruse" Tessa sighed "I swear I don't know why I haven't fired her yet"

 

They talked for a few more minutes before Tessa left them in order to go to a meeting. Simon took the flowers to the locker room in order to keep them safe before going back to his area and resume his work. Raphael took a seat in one of the sofas in the area and started working in his computer.

 

"What are you doing?" Simon asked.

"I'm editing some photos" Raphael explained "They need to be ready by next week."

"I thought you preferred working at home" Simon pointed out.

"I do" Raphael nodded "But I thought we both needed the company"

 

Simon needed and continued working silently. Raphael did as well, working on the tablet that was connected to his laptop and editing the photographs.

 

"Do you..." Simon trailed off, fidgeting with a book he was holding "Do you think....maybe....do you-"

"Simon?" Raphael asked gently.

"Does your family hate me?" Simon blurted out

"What?" Raphael breathed out, not expecting that at all "No...of course they don't hate you, bebé"

"I just...I feel like I messed up yesterday" Simon shrugged.

"You didn't" Raphael shook his head "Gabriel is the one who messed up, not you"

"I feel like I ruined everything" Simon mumbled, putting the book down and wrapping his arms around his stomach.

"You didn't. They were worried about you. Mamá called today to ask how you're doing"

"Your mom is the best" Simon smiled "Your whole family is awesome"

"And they all like you" Raphael responded.

"I never knew what a real family should be like" Simon breathed out. "Dad died when I was very young, Rebecca left for college and didn't keep in touch and mother could never understand my style and sexuality"

"Simon" Raphael said softly, standing up and approaching his boyfriend "You don't have to talk about it"

"I figured you should know" Simon shrugged.

"And I appreciate it" Raphael said, moving to take Simon's hands. "But don't force yourself. Tell me at your own time and I'll be here for you."

 

Simon wrapped his arms around Raphael and buried his nose in his boyfriend's hair. Taking in Raphael's scent, Simon felt himself calming down. Raphael always carried with him the smell of leather and his lotion...it was a source of comfort to Simon.

 

"Now" Raphael smiled, pulling back "Go back to your work. I'll be working here and then we can go for dinner when your shift ends"

"Sounds good to me" Simon grinned.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look who comes with an early update! :D 
> 
> Thanks for the comments on the previous chapter :) Here's a new one I hope you enjoy as well!

They were walking back home after having some dinner at a nice restaurant. Raphael had gone to visit Simon at his working place and when Simon's shift ended, they both had gone to get some dinner together. The aftermath of what had happened on the dinner with Raphael's family was still fresh on their mind. Simon had been affected by it, seeming to bring some bad memories from his childhood. Raphael still didn't know all the details, hadn't really pushed Simon into telling him. Simon struggled talking about anything related to his family, so he preferred not talking about it at all. 

"I need new clothes" Simon said suddenly, swinging his and Raphael's arm between them as they walked.

"Simon, we've barely started filling our closet" Raphael shook his head "There are still a lot of things pending on getting in order at the apartment. I don't think getting new things is a good idea"

"I thought it would be a good time to get rid of some stuff" Simon shrugged. "Like clothes I don't use anymore. There is no use in getting them in order in our apartment if they'll be wasting space"

"Alright, makes sense" Raphael nodded "What things are you planning on getting rid of?"

"I still don't know" Simon said quietly, but by the expression on his face Raphael knew his boyfriend did know what he wanted to throw away.

 

They were suddenly interrupted by a small sound. Raphael wouldn't have noticed it had Simon not stop walking. His boyfriend pulled him back by their linked hands, and Raphael stepped closer to his boyfriend to see what had made him stop. 

 

"Do you hear that?" Simon whispered, turning his wide eyes to him.

"Hear what?" Raphael asked with a frown, his voice much louder than Simon's.

"Shhh....listen" Simon said, covering his boyfriend's mouth.

 

Raphael tried to protest, but Simon had already turned his attention away from him. So instead he listened. And then he heard it. It was small and weak, barely there and drowning by the sound of the open space and the street next to them where some cars were driving past. But it was there and Simon had heard it and now he could hear it as well. It was coming from one of the alleys on their left, a small pitying cry of an animal. Simon unlinked their hands and removed his other hand from Raphael's mouth before walking closer to the alley. Raphael rushed to his side, cautious of what his boyfriend was about to walk into. They found a cardboard box. It was very thin and beaten up, barely standing up. Inside, curled up in one of the corners, they found what was making the sound.

 

"It's a cat" Simon whispered in awe.

 

Raphael nodded and had no time to respond before Simon was already reaching inside and pulling the cat out of the box. It was tiny and very thin, almost as if it had been left without any food for days. He didn't look to old, though, so Raphael guessed it was barely a few months old. The kitten protested when Simon lifted it up, but calmed down when Simon brought him close to his chest. Raphael looked around the street, trying to see if there was anyone around that could have left the cat in there. But the streets were basically empty on their side of the street.

 

"Simon" Raphael sighed, seeing his boyfriend cuddling the cat to his chest. "look how dirty it is, you'll ruin your shirt"

"But Raphe" Simon pouted "It needs warmth"

 

Raphael rolled his eyes when Simon circled his arms even tighter around the cat, trying to keep it away from the air of the night. The cat had stopped meowing and instead was purring against Simon's chest. Obviously grateful for the warmth.

 

"We need to get it to a vet" Raphael pointed out.

"Everything's closed at this time" Simon said "Let's take it home!"

"Simon...we're not taking a dirty cat to out apartment" Raphael said.

"Pleaseeee" Simon pleaded "We can't leave it out here! It'll die before the sun comes up!"

"Simon..."

"Please" Simon repeated "I-I'll take care of it....I'll wash it and make sure it doesn't bother you"

"Okay" Raphael nodded "Just....don't get too attached. We'll take it to the vet tomorrow, it may have an owner"

"Thank you!!" Simon leaped up in a jump of happiness, before rushing forward to kiss Raphael in the lips.   
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

As soon as they arrived home, Simon rushed to the bathroom to wash the kitten. They had discussed that the most important thing at the moment was to get it clean. Get all the dirt off it's fur and make sure it was not hurt. After that, they would feed it. They were not sure it could take solid food, so they had decided they would warm some milk. So while Simon was washing the kitten in the bathroom, Raphael was preparing the milk and putting it in a bottle so they could give it to him themselves and make sure it drank.

As he prepared the milk, Raphael could hear Simon yelping and hissing from the bathroom, as well as the splashes of water. The kitten was meowing loudly, Raphael worried their neighbors would come knock at their door soon. But no one came and soon enough Simon came out of the bathroom. He still had the kitten in his arms, which were now filled with scratches. His clothes were wet, his shirt not having any dry spots and the front of his pants were dripping wet. His hair was also wet, and his glasses were crooked in his face. The kitten was wrapped in a soft towel, it's hair messy and wet. Now that it was clean, they noticed the snow-white fur it had and the bright green eyes. 

 

"Well aren't you a sight" Raphael smirked.

"Shut up" Simon pouted "He didn't like the water"

"He?" Raphael asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes!" Simon beamed "I checked. It's a him"

 

Raphael chuckled, shaking his head. He then led Simon towards the living room, where they both sat in their sofa and started to feed the kitten. Simon held the kitten in his lap while Raphael held the bottle close to the kitten's mouth. The cat drank the milk thankfully, purring happily against Simon's chest and lap. 

"We need to figure out where he is going to sleep" Raphael murmured.

"He can sleep with us" Simon said quickly.

"Simon...I'm not letting some cat we found in the street sleep in my bed" Raphael glared at his boyfriend.

"Our bed" Simon corrected him and then pouted "Why not?"

"Because, we don't even know if it has flees" Raphael pointed out "Plus, we can't get too attached. You know we're not keeping him, right?"

"We'll take him to the vet tomorrow, I know" Simon sighed. "I can set him a box with some blankets in the bathroom"

"Okay" Raphael nodded. 

 

He finished feeding the cat before moving to put the bottle away. Simon prepared a small bed for the cat in a cardboard box and some old blankets. He placed the box in the bathroom and then placed the kitten inside. The cat instantly snuggled against the blankets and feel asleep. It had already been dozing off in Simon's arms. Simon guessed the cat was exhausted, god knows what the poor cat went through.

When Simon walked inside their bedroom, Raphael was getting ready for bed. Their bedroom was almost ready. The only thing left to put in order were their clothes, which still were in boxes all around the room. But all the furniture had been placed and all the decorations were hung. Simon loved how their bedroom had turned out. It was the perfect combination of both Raphael and him and it was perfect. Simon changed as well. He put on some pijama pants and an oversized sweater before snuggling close to Raphael on their bed. Raphael instantly wrapped his arms around him and brought him close to his chest. None of them said a thing, though they both knew the other was not asleep.

 

"As a kid I always wanted a dog" Simon whispered eventually "Or a cat. Or a bunny....any animal really"

"We used to have a dog, back in Mexico" Raphael mumbled "We left her when we moved to the US"

"That's sad" Simon sighed "My mom never allowed me to have any pets. Rebecca was allergic"

"Why didn't you get something when she moved out?" Raphael asked.

"Mom never let me" Simon shrugged. 

 

They drifted to silence once more, but Raphael knew Simon was not done talking. And somehow, he knew exactly what Simon was going to say next. He didn't say anything, though. He waited for Simon to voice his thoughts.

 

"Can we keep the cat?" Simon mumbled against Raphael's chest.

"Simon" Raphael sighed deeply.

"Please!" Simon pleaded, placing small kissed in his neck. "Please let's keep the cat"

"Simon...stop" Raphael tried to protest, but there was no force behind his request. Simon moved his kisses up Raphael's jaw and then to his earlobe.

"Let's adopt a cat" Simon whispered in his boyfriend's ear.

"Simon..." Raphael sighed, and then pushed him away gently. "Fine...we'll keep the cat"

"Seriously?" Simon exclaimed, his eyes widening and smiling widely. "You're not kidding? You're not going to take it back?"

"Yes, seriously" Raphael rolled his eyes "However, we will still take it to the vet tomorrow. And if it turns out he has an owner, that's out of our hands"

"Thank you. Thank you! Thank you!" Simon exclaimed hugging Raphael tightly.

"Solo porque te quiero" Raphael mumbled in Spanish, but was soon distracted as Simon claimed his lips in a kiss.  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

"I can't believe you adopted a cat with Raphael" Clary said, playing with some strings and watching the kitty trying to reach them.

"why not?" Simon asked.

 

Both of them were sitting on the floor of Simon's living room. Raphael was out, working on a photoshoot. He would bring dinner, so Simon had decided to call his best friend and they spent the evening together. They watched movies and caught up in some of their TV series, but most of the time they just played with the cat.

 

"It's just so....domestic" Clary shrugged "Like...all of a sudden you're moving in together and now you have a cat. Don't you think it is all moving so fast?"

"Not really" Simon shook his head "It's Raphael. Everything feels so natural and easy."

"The next thing we'll know is that you're married and adopting a kid" Clary shook her head, but she was smiling so Simon knew there was no heat behind her comment.

"I don't think we're there yet" Simon chuckled "But maybe someday"

"Seriously?" Clary asked with wide eyes "You're already thinking about marriage?"

"Not really!" Simon protested "I mean....in the future. I think I would like to get married"

"I mean, obviously, so do I. But...are you sure Raphael is the one you want to spend the rest of your life with?" Clary asked, wonder in her eyes.

"Well...yeah" Simon shrugged "I don't think there will ever be anyone else. Like, I know we're still young and a lot of things are yet to come. But just something feels as if this thing between us is forever"

"That's sweet" Clary smiled at him "I'm happy for you"

"Thank you" Simon smiled shyly "What about you and Jace? How are things going?"

"We're good" Clary shrugged "A lot of things have been going on. He's trying to figure out his family tree and a lot of things are coming up...but we're good"

"I'm glad" Simon nodded.


	5. Chapter 5

Classes had started for both of them, which meant their schedules were as full as they could get. Raphael was currently in his last year, which meant most of the work was very heavy and they were left with more work than any other year. Simon still had two years to go before he could graduate from his degree in accounting. Even though it was not career he liked very much, he had already gotten that far and didn't see the point in dropping out. He guessed once he was finished he could truly dedicate his life to what he liked, even though he was still not sure what he wanted to do with his life. 

So with their now busy schedules, they were both exhausted. The beginning of a new semester of classes was always very time consuming and hard. They were lucky to get at least 7 hours of sleep on a good day. Which was why, when someone started knocking on the door of their apartment in the middle of the night, none of them were too happy about it.

When the sound started, Raphael was the first one to wake up. He was a light sleeper, so his eyes were open in an instant. He glanced at the clock on his nightstand and saw it was just past 1am. Who could be knocking at the time of the night? With a groan, he rolled over and came to face his boyfriend who was still sleeping. Even in the dim light that came through the window due to the light, Raphael could still see the features of Simon. Probably because he had them memorised. When another round of knocks came, Simon frowned in his sleep and shifted so his face was buried in the space between Raphael's neck and shoulder.

 

"Wasgoion" Simon mumbled against his should, but Raphael barely understood a thing of what he said.

"Someone is knocking" Raphael whispered, pointing out the obvious.

 

Simon just groaned and threw an arm around Raphael's midsection. He mumbled something about ignoring it before drifting off to sleep again. But Raphael could not go back to sleep, not after being woken up like that. When the knocking came again, this time more desperate, Raphael knew he needed to see who it was. With a deep sigh, Raphael pulled Simon gently off himself and then made his way towards the front door. The knocking continued, stopping abruptly when Raphael snapped the door open. 

Raphael was about to snap something nasty at whoever had dared to bother them, until he found his sister there. Rosa stood, tears running down her eyes and an ugly bruise in her right eye. She had Jacob in her arms, his face buried against her shoulder. Without another word he let them in, turning on the lights of the apartment and guiding them to the living room. His mind started reeling with countless of questions and theories of what could have happened. He was ready to kill whoever had done this to his sister when Rosa started talking.

 

"I'm sorry for coming at this hour" Rosa said in a rush "But I didn't know where to go. I didn't want to go to mama's"

"Don't apologise" Raphael shook his head "But tell me what happened. Who did this to you?"

 

Rosa shook her head, new tears running down her cheeks. She clutched Jacob closer to her chest when he started sniffing again, silently sobbing against her chest. Raphael's heart broke at the sight and he was dying to do something, anything, just to fix it. 

Just then Simon walked into the room. He had pulled an oversized jumper over his chest, and he was clutching the big sleeves against his mouth. He stared wide eyed at the scene, his eyes only widening more when he noticed Rosa's bruise. 

 

"Oh Rosa" Simon said sadly, seeming to understand instantly what had happened. 

 

He moved to sit next to Raphael, looking anxiously at his boyfriend's sister and nephew. Jacob pulled away from his mother enough to look who was the new person in the room. He was tense, and seemed scared. Something a small kid his age should not be feeling. Simon's heart broke, and he tried to meet Jacob's eyes, giving him a small smile.

 

"Hey little man" Simon said softly.

 

Jacob flashed a ghost of a smile before burying his face back on Rosa's shoulder. Rosa rubbed circles against his back, refusing to look at any of them. Raphael shared a look with Simon and they both knew that Rosa would not talk about what had happened as long as Jacob was in the same room. With a small nod, Simon touched carefully Jacob's back, trying not to startle him.

 

"Hey buddy" Simon said, smiling at the little kid "Remember I promised I would teach you to play guitar? How about we start now?"

 

Jacob pulled away from his mother and looked at Simon curiously. His eyes traveled to Simon's head, which was missing the flower crown Jacob had seen before on him. 

 

"Where are the flowers?" Jacob asked, hiccuping slightly. 

"I forgot to put them" Simon shrugged.

"I like flowers" Jacob whispered.

"Do you wanna see more flowers?" Simon asked. "We can make a flower crown for you"

 

Jacob looked up at Rosa, asking permission silently. Rosa nodded, smiling gently at his son. Jacob grinned, though his smile didn't look as bright as it usually did due to his tear-strained cheeks. He turned around and extended his arms towards Simon. Simon instantly wrapped his arms around Jacob's body and Jacob wrapped his own arms around Simon's neck. Lifting up Raphael's nephew, Simon smiled at both siblings before walking off towards the bedroom, whispering in Jacob's ear making the little boy giggle.

Raphael and Rosa watched them go. Rosa sniffed, but smiled softly at her younger brother.

 

"He's great" Rosa whispered, her eyes locked on Simon and her son.

"He is" Raphael nodded, then turned his attention back to his sister and asked what happened "Rosa....¿Qué te pasó?"

"Gabriel" Rosa whispered, looking away from Raphael "I....he....w-we had a disagreement"

"Tell me everything" Raphael said. His voice was calm, trying not to frighten his sister any further. However, his whole body was tense and trembling slightly in anger.

"I don't know what happened" Rosa shook her head, her voice trembling but still strong enough. "I...We had been fighting for a long time. What happened at mamás was not a surprise really. But mostly it was just between the two of us. Tonight...it just got out of control."

"Did he hit you?" Raphael asked, even though he already knew the answer. Rosa barely moved her head in a nod and Raphael clenched his hands in fists. "Was it the first time?"

 

When Rosa shook her head, looking down at her hands, and sobbed, Raphael stood up suddenly. He started cursing in rapid Spanish. He started pacing the floor of the living room, his hands clenching and unclenching.

 

"Lo voy a matar" Raphael threatened "Juro que lo voy a matar si vuelvo a ver a ese hijo de puta"

"Raphael" Rosa whispered, hiccuping with a sob "Por favor....just calm down"

"Calm down?!" Raphael cried "Rosa that son of a bitch dared to lay a hand on you! I swear to God I'll kill him"

"Raphael...please...just not right now" Rosa cried, fresh tears running down her cheeks. "I just....I-I cant...."

 

Raphael stopped his pacing and turned to face his sister. Seeing her crying on his sofa, her face in her hands, it broke Raphael's heart even more. With a sigh, Raphael sat down next to his sister and wrapped his arms around her. Rosa collapsed against his chest, crying even harder. Raphael just held her close, whispering soft comforts in Spanish against her ears.

 

"I-I'm s-sorry" Rosa sobbed "I just....I...I needed t-to get out"

"Of course" Raphael nodded "You don't have to apologize"

"He....Jacob...." Rosa shook her head, new tears running down her cheeks. She clutched tightly at Raphael's shirt.

"Did he touch Jacob?" Raphael asked in panic.

"H-He tried to" Rosa said "I didn't let him....t-that's why...H-He never dares to hit my face...."

"Dios Rosa" Raphael sighed deeply "You're okay now. I'm glad you came here"

"I don't want to intrude or bother you and Simon" Rosa said quickly, pulling away from Raphael "I know you just moved in-"

"Rosa, you're not intruding or bothering at all" Raphael shook his head "You are more than welcome to stay. Both of you. We'll prepare the guest room, you can stay as long as you want"

"Thank you" Rosa whispered, cleaning the tears from her eyes "God....my poor Jacob must be scared to death"

"Simon will calm him" Raphael said "Now. How about I make you some tea and lend you some clothes so you can go to sleep?"

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Simon was sitting on the floor of one of the guest room that Raphael had decided to turn into an office. It was his working space, where he hung his photographs and edited on the computer. It was also a sort of library or reading room for them. They had filled the walls with bookshelves and placed all of their books. Both of them had quite the collection of books, since they enjoyed reading. Sometimes, while Raphael was working from home, Simon would curl up in the armchair with a book. Now, though, he was sitting on the soft carpet they had placed on the floor. Jacob had decided to sit down in his lap instead of on the floor as well. Both of them had the materials Simon used to make his flower crowns. Simon handled the wire and the green tape while Jacob chose the flowers he wanted for his crown.

 

"I like that one" Jacob said, picking up a white flower.

"That one is a white carnation" Simon explained "It means innocence and pure love"

"Flowers have meanings?" Jacob asked, looking up at Simon.

"Of course" Simon nodded "Flowers and plants have their own language."

"I wanna speak flowers!" Jacob said.

"You don't speak flowers" Simon chuckled "But you can interpret and understand what they mean"

"How?" Jacob asked. 

"I'll show you" Simon said "Do you remember what the white carnation means?"

"Innocence!" Jacob exclaimed.

"That's right. Good job" Simon lifted his hand to high five the little boy "Now, if you put it with this yellow flower here, the coreopsis, it means innocent and cheerful"

"I like that one" Jacob grinned, pointing at the coreopsis.

"I like it too" Simon nodded "Do you want it in your crown?"

"Yes!" Jacob exclaimed. "Can we make mommy a crown too? She was sad. I don't like seeing her sad"

"Of course" Simon nodded "we'll make her not sad!"

"Yay!" Jacob grinned "I want yellow flowers for her crown" 

"That's a great choice Jacob" Simon smiled "Those are called Sunflowers. They mean joy"

 

Jacob nodded, as if trying to memorise the meaning of each flower. Simon started picking the flowers and forming the flower crown for Jacob. Simon explained how they were done and allowed Jacob to help him. It didn't end as perfect as the ones Simon usually did, because of Jacob's clumsy fingers, but it was still beautiful. Once the flower was finished, Jacob placed it in his head happily and they started making the flower crown for Rosa. halfway through the making of the second flower crown, Jacob started to yawn widely and his eyes were starting to close.

 

"How about we get you to sleep, huh?" Simon said softly.

"But...mommy's crown is not finished" Jacob pouted.

"We can finish it tomorrow" Simon promised "It'll be a suprise for her"

"Okay" Jacob nodded.

 

Simon tried to get Jacob to stand up so he could stand up as well, but Jacob was already half asleep. Instead, Simon stood up while carrying Jacob. It was a little difficult for him, but he managed without disturbing the little boy too much. When he walked out of the reading room, he found Raphael coming out of the other guest room. 

 

"Hey" Raphael whispered, noticing the sleeping child in his boyfriend's arms. "Is he alright?"

"Yeah" Simon nodded "What about Rosa?"

"She's strong" Raphael shrugged "Tonight was just a tough night."

"Is she asleep?" Simon asked.

"No. She's waiting for Jacob" Raphael said "Thank you for helping him."

"It's not a problem" Simon shrugged. "They're your family. I would do anything for them"

 

In that moment Raphael was filled with such an intense feeling of love towards his boyfriend. Seeing him, carrying his nephew, worried about his sister and claiming to care so deeply about them. He knew in that moment that Simon was the one. That there would never be anyone else. No matter what happened in their relationship. If they were gonna stay together or break up in a few years or something. He knew that no one could ever take Simon's place in his heart.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY! I'm sorry it took me FOREVER to update. But Christmas season has been crazy. And I started working on a new thing, which took a lot of my time.
> 
> Anyway, before you read this chapter I want to let you know that I started a 25 days of Christmas. Each day I post a new one-shot Christmas related and they are all Saphael! So head over there to check it out and leave some loooooove!
> 
> Thanks!

Raphael woke up with the sound of his nephew shrieking in happiness. He opened his eyes slowly, confused about what was going on. He turned towards Simon's side of the bed and found it empty, which only added to the confusion. When he heard Jacob's laughter once more, everything that had happened came rushing down on him. He sighed, burying his face in his pillow. Last night had been tough. His sister had come to their place in the middle of the night, bruised and with a crying Jacob in her arms after escaping her abusive husband. It was a complete nightmare.

But he had been able to help his sister. He had cleaned up her bruises and gave her some ice to help with the swelling. Simon had helped Jacob calm down and go to sleep and then they all had followed. Sleep didn't come easy on Raphael. He had tossed and turned in bed until Simon murmured something, barely awake, and laid down on top of his chest. Raphael had been unable to move then with Simon's weight on top of him. Eventually he had fallen asleep with the soothing feeling of Simon's skin against his chest and the rhythm of the other's breathing.

Now, though, Simon was no longer next to him and everything that had happened last night came to his memory. At least hearing Jacob laughing somewhere in their apartment was a good sign. So Raphael got up, changed into some proper clothes, washed his teeth and walked towards the kitchen. 

He found Rosa there, drinking coffee and barely touching some toast. Simon had prepared some more coffee for him, so he gratefully filled a cup and drank his own coffee. Rosa gave him a funny look. She had always judged him for drinking his coffee completely black. Rosa was the kind of person who would put a lot of milk in her coffee and a lot of sugar.

"So...when did you decided to adopt a cat?" Rosa asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Like two days ago" Raphael sighed "It's all Simon's fault"

"You hated pets" Rosa pointed out "I remember the twins brought home a dog once and you couldn't stand it"

"I've never been a big fan of animals, that's true" Raphael nodded "But I donnow....Simon really wanted the cat"

"I think it's cute" Rosa smiled at him "You two look happy"

"We are happy" Raphael nodded.

"I'm glad" Rosa said, her smile turning a bit nostalgic "He really cares about you, I can see it...he's good for you"

 

Raphael just smiled, but something in his sister's voice bothered him. So instead of responding, he studied his sister. Rosa continued drinking her coffee, but barely ate anything of her toast. The bruise in her eye was looking much worse than last night, getting an ugly green and soft red color around it. Raphael felt the rage inside of him building again towards Rosa's husband. 

 

"I think...." Rosa started, taking a deep breath "I think I'm going to get a divorce"

"Good" Raphael nodded "You should get away from that bastard"

"It's not going to be easy" Rosa sniffed "Gabriel will try to get custody over Jacob...and I'll need a lawyer and it's going to take a lot of money"

"A friend of ours is a lawyer" Simon spoke from the doorway.

 

Raphael and Rosa turned to look at him. He had his hands in his pockets, an oversized cream sweater draped over his body. He smiled, blushing softly, before walking inside the kitchen to greet Raphael with a kiss to his forehead and taking a seat next to him.

 

"You said something about a friend being a lawyer?" Rosa asked.

"Yeah" Simon nodded "He just graduated, actually....but he's really good. I'm sure he would gladly help you out"

"Are you talking about Alec?" Raphael asked.

"Yeah" Simon said "He's already working for a firm even though he graduated like....last year. But he's really good and he's a friend of ours and he's very nice, so I don't think he's going to cost you too much"

"Thank you Simon" Rosa smiled "You can give me his information later?"

"Of course" Simon nodded.

"Where's Jacob?" Raphael asked, deciding to change the subject.

"He's in the living room playing with the cat" Simon explained. "You know, we still have to decide on a name"

"I told you to name it" Raphael said "Choose whatever"

"It can't be whatever" Simon sighed "It needs a special name"

"You guys are adorable" Rosa said, smiling for the very first time since last night.

 

Simon blushed furiously while Raphael glared at his sister. Rosa just laughed at both of their reactions. She then stood up and excused herself to take a shower. Raphael finished his breakfast and then the two of them moved to the living room. Jacob was there, lying on the carpet playing with the cat. 

 

"Caspian loves to cuddle" Jacob informed them.

"Caspian?" Raphael asked raising an eyebrow.

"The cat" Jacob said, nodding.

"You named our cat?" Simon asked with a pout.

"He told me" Jacob said pointing at the cat "He wanted to be named after a prince"

"And Caspian is a prince?" Raphael asked, taking a seat next to his nephew on the floor.

"King of Narnia, actually" Simon said.

"My mom is reading the books to me" Jacob smiled happily "I really like them"

"The Chronicles of Narnia are awesome" Simon nodded "I loved them as a kid"

"And you named out cat after a character in a book?" Raphael asked,r aising an eyebrow.

"He asked for it" Jacob said seriously.

 

Just then Rosa walked back inside the room. Her hair was wet, being recently washed, but she looked refreshed and much better than she had been before. Raphael was glad for that.

 

"You are turning my nephew into a nerd" Raphael accused her. "He just named our cat after the character of a book"

"Please" Rosa rolled her eyes "Have you met your boyfriend? He's more of a nerd than any of us"

"Hey!" Simon protested, but was quickly distracted by Jacob and Caspian.

"Anyway" Rosa said, taking a seat next to her brother "I think I should go see mamá. Warn her in case Gabriel looks for me there"

"I'll come with you" Raphael said instantly "Both of us....We'll come with you"

"I don't want to bother you any more than I already did" Rosa shook her head.

"You're not bothering" Simon said, turning his attention to her "You're family. We'll do what we can to help you"

"Thank you" Rosa sniffed, trying to keep down the tears.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay. I know it took me forever to update this. And I'm sorry for that. This holiday season was just crazy.
> 
> But I promise to be more organised and to focus more in my writing this 2018. I'm already planning my projects for this year and I'm really excited for it :D
> 
> Happy holidays to everyone, by the way. I hope you had an awesome Christmas and an awesome New Years Day. And if you don't celebrate Christmas, I hope you still had an awesome day :)

It was a few weeks after the incident with Rosa and her husband. She and Jacob had moved in at Simon's and Raphael's apartment for the time being. Raphael had accompanied his sister and nephew to get their things from their home. They had gone at a time when Rosa was sure Gabriel was working, so they had the time to pack everything and leave without seeing the other man. It was better that way. Rosa had left him a note, letting him know that she would be getting a lawyer in order to get a divorce. Gabriel had tried calling her multiple times, going as far as to go to Guadalupe Santiago's home demanding to talk to Rosa. By then Mamá Santiago knew what was going on and called the police, threatening Gabriel they would get a restraining order if he didn't stay away. Simon had given Rosa Alec Lightwood's contact and he had instantly agreed to help her. Simon didn't really know the whole story of Alec's childhood. But he did know that the other man had been kicked out of his house some time after coming out. He also knew that Alec helped those cases that were related to household abuse. Simon could only guess what had happened in Alec's time between coming out and being kicked out of his house. 

On a brighter note, Simon had bonded with Raphael's family even more since Rosa moved in with them. After they had told Guadalupe Santiago, she and the youngest Santiagos visited them more often. Daniel and David would take the metro to visit them after their classes. Simon had started teaching Samuel to play the guitar, so Guadalupe and the youngest Santiago visited them once a week for Samuel's classes. Simon had warmed up to Raphael's family and they had warmed up to him as well. It felt good. It felt like a family, something that Raphael couldn't be more glad for. 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"It's been a long time since we did this" Clary said as they walked inside her mother's studio.

Simon had gone to visit her. Raphael had gone out with his brothers to watch a movie the twins were dying to see. They had invited Simon, of course, but he had politely declined. He missed hanging out with his best friend, and after everything that was going on, he needed some time with her. Clary of course had been delighted when Simon called her. She said she was going to start working on a new piece of art and wanted Simon's help.

When they were kids, they would do this all the time. Jocelyn Fairchild would let them go to her art studio, give them a big canvas and the two kids would paint at their hearts content. Clary usually did all the professional artwork. Simon would usually just doodle little things or just draw different kinds of flowers. Other times they would extend a big white paper on the wall and just throw paint at it when they needed to get something off their chests. It worked. It worked for them.

"It's been forever" Simon grinned.

He was wearing some old clothes he didn't mind getting paint on. Some old graphic pink T-shirt that had long ago faded into an almost white color and jeans. Clary was wearing jeans shorts and an old T-Shirt that belonged to her step-father, Luke. 

"So what are we doing today Fray?" Simon asked, moving to take the different paint supplies from the shelf.

"I don't know" Clary shrugged, pulling stools over to the canvases that had been placed. "I thought we could both do our thing"

"Okay" Simon nodded putting the pencils and paint and other instruments in a table between the stools. "So you paint one canvas I do the other one?"

"Sounds good to me" Clary grinned, tying her hair up in a messy bun.

 

Simon wasn't much of an artist. At least, he didn't consider himself one. But he had basically grown up with Clary's family. Jocelyn and Clary had both taught him a thing or two of how to paint, so he managed just well with some of the materials. He was used to them, though he could never create something like Jocelyn and Clary could do. Simon liked watercolors the most. So he decided to work with them. Clary was more into oil painting, so she started working with that. 

"Clary" Simon spoke after a long time. 

They were both very into their own paintings and liked to work in silence. Simon wasn't really doing much in his painting. Just drawing some flowers and leaves all around the canvas. 

"Yeah?" Clary asked, looking away from her work to look at Simon.

"I....I need to tell you something" Simon said.

"what is it?" Clary asked, sounding concerned. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine" Simon nodded, putting down the brush he had been using. "I just...I gotta tell you something"

"Okay" Clary said, sounding unsure "I'm listening."

"So I've been thinking....a lot actually...about my classes. And college. And just life in general" Simon started. He started playing with the threats of the hem on his shirt, not really meeting Clary's eyes. "And like...I've been so deep into the career....but, you know, I never really liked accounting. And I still don't. I mean, it is a good career. And it's not that bad. But it really just isn't my thing. I mean, it was my mom's thing. It is what my mom wanted to be my thing-"  
"Simon" Clary interrupted him "You're rambling"

"Right. Sorry" Simon blushed "I just....I'm thinking about dropping out of college"

"What?" Clary asked in disbelief. "But you're so close to graduating. Just a few more years"

"I mean, yeah" Simon shrugged "But I don't think I can hold on for that long"

"Why do you want to drop out?" Clary asked.

"It is just not what I want" Simon sighed "I mean, I don't know what I want. But I now it isn't accounting"

"You did take that class for your mom" Clary nodded.

"And we're not even talking anymore" Simon pouted "I just don't see the point. It just keeps reminding me a lot about everything that happened with her"

"So you want to drop out" Clary said. "And what would you do?"

"I don't know" Simon sighed "I still have my job. And I could start working on my music...all I know is that I'm unhappy with my career. And I don't think I can live with it for much longer"

"Have you talked to Raphael about it?" Clary asked.

"Not yet" Simon shook his head "I don't know how he'll take it. I mean, he worked so hard to get into college. He started a few years after because of his financial situation back then. And he works so hard for everything.... I don't know how he'll feel about me just throwing it all away"

"Well, you'll never know if you don't tell him" Clary shrugged "But you know Raphael would not think badly of you. I know he and me don't really get along, but I know he loves you. And he wants to see you happy. Nothing could change that"

"Yeah....you're right" Simon sighed, taking back his paint brush. "I'll think about it. It's not something I have decided yet"

"Well....whatever you choose" Clary smiled at him "You know I'll support you"


End file.
